I am a US Forest Service blaster and explosives trainer for the government.
We use explosives in construction, occasionally in demolition, and in
several nonconventional ways.

Forest Service blasters routinely blast hazard trees that are too dangerous
to cut with a chain saw. We surface load trees with watergels or emulsions
using a powder factor of about W = D²/40 for soft woods. This means that
a surface load for a 24 inch tree is about 15 pounds. We usually use
fairly slow explosives to good advantage because we are cutting wood fiber.
You can imagine that the weight of the explosives to pack into a remote job
site is great and the air blast for unconfined explosives is substantial.

I believe that using the Monroe effect to manufacture home-made shaped
charges/ devices may reduce the cost, the powder factor, and the air blast
of our hazard tree work. It may also give us greater control in our timber
falling. I believe that using linear shape charges constructed of a
malleable metal and Kenepac (the fastest explosive we routinely use; 22,000
ft/sec, I believe) may yield a charge that is more effective in cutting
wood fibers.

The shape charge I am thinking of trying is using an old aluminum license
plates folded into a 90-degree angle with a plastic bags of Kenepac taped
over the outside of the metal. The charge will be taped to the bole of a
tree. I, of course, can experiment on downed trees at first, not standing.

I ask for you to consider the merits of this endeavor, as explained here,
and for you to comment, please, on the idea. Is there another technology
or product that may help us in our work?

Thank you, again, for your kind consideration...and I hope you get a kick
out of my inquiry.